Select few trying to master Masters again

Friday

Feb 22, 2013 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - Trent Nicholson has been here before.

Stephen Roberson

STOCKTON - Trent Nicholson has been here before.

The 132-pound Kimball High junior, along with 73 other area wrestlers, competes today and Saturday at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters wrestling championships at Stockton Arena. The top seven medalists in each division qualify for the state meet on March 1-2 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

For Nicholson and eight others, a return trip to state is on the line. As a sophomore last year, Nicholson won the 126 title at both the Valley Oak League and Division IV tournaments. He finished fifth at Masters and then went 3-2 at the state meet, where he was eliminated two rounds shy of the medal round.

Last week he won the 132 crown at the Division IV tournament at Los Banos High. He'll open the Masters tournament today against Modesto-Enochs junior Devon Sookhoo looking to improve on last year's fifth-place medal.

"Last year it was more of a goal to make it to state; this year the goal is to win it," Nicholson said. "I did not expect to do that well (at state) last year. I went more for the learning experience."

That experience, Nicholson said, should be a valuable asset.

"It makes everything less intimidating," he said. "Both Masters and state, you realize it's just another meet. I'll know what to expect."

Ripon senior Trevor Smith (195) is the only area wrestler competing this weekend to win a medal at last year's state championships. After winning the 2012 Masters title at 182, he finished sixth at state. Last weekend Smith went 4-0 to win the Division V championship at Olivehurst-Lindhurst High. His goal this year is to win a state championship.

"Once you've been there you know what you have to do to place," he said. "You know you have to work that much harder if you're going to go even higher. I always try to keep improving. I've been working harder and harder every year."

Asked if there was any wrestler in the field that's given him problems in the past, Smith noted Gregori's Dean Duivenvoorden, who beat Smith early this season. If both advance through the Masters winners bracket, they won't meet until Saturday's final.

"I definitely left that match feeling like I should have beaten him," Smith said. "I didn't wrestle as smart as I needed to."

Senior Justin Brown (160), one of 10 Calaveras wrestlers competing today, is the only grappler aiming for a third consecutive trip to the state meet. After earning an eighth-place Masters medal at 119 as a freshman to narrowly miss a state-meet berth, he finished sixth at 135 as a sophomore and seventh at 145 as a junior. Brown will wrestle Lincoln's Alika Espiritu-Foster in today's first round. The Trojans have six in the field.

Escalon senior Johnathon Costa (170) is vying for a third appearance. He advanced as a freshman at 103 in 2010, failed to qualify as a sophomore but returned last year at 152.

Other area wrestlers looking to qualify for the state championships for the second year in a row include Escalon's Tyler Lawrence (132) and Jason Robbins (138); and Bret Harte's Caleb Storey (113), Giovanni Murillo (138) and Luke Brewer (195).